Barely a week after I arrived in Mauritius, it was time to hit the road again. Places to go, people to see, but it was with a heavy heart that I bade farewell to this beautiful island.
I have met many wonderful people here – with special thanks to Michel and Anne Bourgeois at 20 Degrees South, Pipo at the Grand Baie Yacht Club, Jean-Edgar Merle who has helped out in so many ways as well as throwing a fantastically decadent dinner party for me and Team Roz, Nicholas Weiss who hosted an afternoon event for me at his home on the east coast, and the TV folks at MBC.
I’d like to say a bit more about 20 Degrees South. There is a certain kind of hotel that I daydream about as I row across oceans. I very rarely stay in hotels, generally staying with friends whose company I cherish, and to save on cost and environmental impact – but I have to confess that there is nothing like the feel of crisp, white sheets tautly stretched across a comfortable hotel mattress to make me feel truly blissful. Just imagine how good that feels after 5 months of sleeping in an increasingly itchy and malodorous sleeping bag!
Over the years of my ocean rowing career I have been lucky enough to stay in some wonderful places – the Admiral’s Inn in Antigua, the Outrigger in Waikiki, the Madang Resort in Papua New Guinea – and now 20 Degrees South in Mauritius. (We shall draw a tactful veil over the Hotel Otintaai in Tarawa, which was…. interesting. Kind of a cross between Fawlty Towers and Prisoner Cell Block H.)
20 Degrees South is up there with the best of them. A little slice of boutique hotel heaven, and eco-friendly to boot. Breakfast jam, instead of coming in disposable plastic pots, comes in elegant little glasses with tiny jam spoons. Milk for your tea comes in cute mini milk bottles. Laundry bags are fabric, not plastic, and room keys have to be inserted in a slot to activate aircon and lights, ensuring guests don’t leave electricity burning when they leave the room.
I’d like to thank Michel and Anne for their warm hospitality, and for doing their bit to make the world a better, greener place.
I would also like to make a special thank you to the Grand Baie Yacht Club for hosting a presentation last Friday night. The event was a victim of its own success – the paltry 7 copies of Rowing The Atlantic that we had managed to obtain was far outstripped by demand, so apologies to those who did not manage to get a copy. If you email me via the contact form on this website, I will get hold of some more copies, sign them, and send them to you.
So where to next?
I am writing this blog en route to Los Angeles, where tomorrow I will be meeting Diana Nyad, the amazing 62-year-old ultra-distance swimmer, to further the acquaintance we started via Skype last week (video here, filmed at 20 Degrees South). On Thursday you can catch me at a Green Drinks/Surfrider event. At the Trashers Ball I will be making a short presentation – and my debut as a model! I’ll be wearing a trashy creation by designer Marina De Bris (geddit?!) and my good friends from the 5 Gyres Institute, Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins, will also be on the catwalk.
Then on Friday I’m off to San Francisco. ALL ARE WELCOME for celebratory drinks at Greens Restaurant in Fort Mason from 5pm until about 9pm on Friday, 14th October.
After a round of meetings in San Francisco I’m off to New York, from 22nd to 26th October. No plans as yet for any public appearances or events there, but I will keep you posted if that changes.
And finally…. my apologies for general bloglessness for the last 5 or 6 days. I had a wonderful time in Mauritius but it was exceedingly busy, and this is the first moment I have had to myself. From now on I should be able to post a blog every 3 or 4 days. And, of course, I will still be podcasting with Vic over at Roz Roams every week. So stay tuned!
Looking forward to meeting you in at Greens on Friday, Roz!!!
Welcome “home” Roz! You are a model of cheer!
See you soon ;-D
Roz! We’re flying to LA Wednesday night. Do you have plans for lunch on Thursday? I still have the same cell number… I have a number for you so maybe I’ll try to text you tomorrow to see if it still works! It’d be so great to see you in California!! XOXO~ Ami Baio
See you on Friday – seems like ages!
Hoping to get to Green’s on Friday. How does your body react to a sudden change in diet, drink and activity?
Cindy M
(Only Roz could apologize for taking the time to enjoy herself!) It is so good to see you enjoying yourself after all those months on the water… despite having followed along, I still have a hard time grasping that it was five whole months! All the best…
Looking forward to seeing you and meeting the Rozlings at Greens!
enjoy meeting your friends. PLEASE have a gathering in the UK…the Brits are missing out!
David Church
Roz Confluence Party at Greens … UPDATE!Oh boy! All caps on your blog no less! OMG! … On her last post, she had asked for you all to rsvp. Thirty people have and I have made arrangements with Greens Restaurant for 40 people. I am at thirty eight now! So wow!
Let’s go with the energy and vibes our Ocean Rower deserves and still not overun the good people at Greens.
Therefore I am announcing an aftermath party as Greens closes at 9pm.
This is unapproved until Roz sees it, but I doubt she will fight the abduction.
Soon after 9, Roz will be wisked away to The Buena Vista Club at Hyde Street and Beach Street near the Hyde Street Pier to continue to resonate the energy of the evening.
If you are not able to meet us at Greens, please expect Roz at Buena Vista Club (a historic pub also known for being a shanghai saloon… that story to follow probably as I will attempt to get Roz to explain what getting shanhaied is)
So if you have not rsvp’d to me prior to 23:59 on 11 October 2011, please attempt to have drinks with us at Greens between Five and Seven pm-ish. If we begin to over-run the place by eight or nine I will wisk away our World Record Breaking Ocean Rower to the Buena Vista Club nearby, therefore relieving any tensions being set at a fabulous and favorite restaurant. Greens is in Fort Mason Center and is also home of many historical accolades.
Please stay tuned to my comments here on this blog as both Roz and I are moving targets and often transmissions are pulvorized before full completion!
Please see her last blog for the original invite. I am doing my best to make San Francisco her new home… so expect that you will have ongoing chances to greet her and congratulate her (my words here… AMAZING) self.
🙂 Ultimate Flexibility rules
Jay Gosuico
outsidejay@gmail:disqus .com
Row Roz Row!
Jay, by “see her last blog for the original invite” do you mean this one? http://bit.ly/5OctJayGreens
Thanks for arranging this, Jay. You GO!
I will miss the daily blog but I realize you will have less time on your hands now. Looking forward to the next chapter.
The daily blogs spoiled us all to be sure, but you totally needed and deserved that wonderful hotel (as you described it). Enjoy the reunions with your friends, and I hope to be able to congratulate you in person at one of your “east coast” stops. Cheers!!
It would be great for you to be able to just relax and take in NY when you’re here, but if you do speak or attend any events, please post it. I’d love to be able to meet a person who’s been as inspiring as you have been, Roz.
No worries Doug,
On her “I’ve done it!” blog:
https://www.rozsavage.com/2011/10/04/ive-done-it/
is when she announces it and refers to my email address in order to rsvp. For some reason I had a whole different plan than what it is turning out to be:) The only thing similar to the original pattern is that it is on the waterfront in San Francisco! Maybe Roz should take that as a hint to stay a while longer. I also noticed that she called San Francisco “The City” ! I think we have a fighting chance… Whose with me?! … See you all on Friday!Row Roz Row! (I like the melody that plays in my head when I say it:)
Roz, we may cross paths in NYC. I’m arriving at 11:00 a.m. on the 26th for a conference. I’m not sure what my plans are for that day (there’s usually a workshop of some sort that takes the afternoon), but I’m hoping to be able to pop over to the Union Square Green Market to pick up goodies for healthy snacks. Drop me a line if you might be in that area for a quick Hi and congratulatory hug.
Aye, Eglise me hearty; a small celebration at least…
Greens sounds fun Jay; one day I’ll make it there myself I think…
OK, I’ll bite one more time: One word–Juggernaut
Still wishing someone would fix Roz Roams podcast feed, not everyone wants–or can–use iTunes. Please provide an rss or xml feed….o_0
elaterite – not sure I understand … I can listen without iTunes on my work PC. Also, on my macbook, iTunes does not open and I listen on the rozroams.squarespace site … try this http://bit.ly/RozRoams51
Hi UncaDoug-
what I’m looking for is an XML or RSS URL that I can put into my podcatcher so I can download Roz Roams to my potable audio player.
Be well,
Bob Tregilus
775 826-4514
P
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Hi Roz,
Glad to hear from you! Even more glad you caught up on your luxury/group event needs. I envy you going to my home state, as it’s cold and miserable where I’m at now.
Cheers,
Eric
Update on Roz’s Welcome Back Party at Greens.
It is now 13 October 2011, 10:00 am We have maxed out the capacity of Greens Restaurant! Thanks to all that have rsvp’d. I will be sure to Shanghai Roz to the Buena Vista Club on the corner of Hyde Street and Third Street near the historic Hyde Street Pier. I plan to abduct her there sometime about 8:30pm is to 9pm ish… If you have not yet RSVP’d, please meet us at Buena Vista Club for ongoing festivities.
Cheers and All best!
Bon Voyage Rita!
~Jay
Howdy Jay, I think this is the link to the Buena Vista.
http://www.thebuenavista.com/home/home.html
Have a great time everyone! Would like to be there but 700 miles is a long way to row by tomorrow and there is a small craft advisory off the Oregon coast. Cheers, Stephen
Was fabulous seeing you at Greens in SF and helping to collect you at SFO!
Not only did I finally get to meet you face-to-face I got to make some new friends among the Rozlings that came to the gathering at Greens.
E Mālama i ka honua! [Take care of the earth!]
Thanks All, What a great party. Here are the pictures taken by Aleksey Bochkovski. Thanks Aleksey, and THANKS ROZ!!!
http://photomomentum.com/clients/rozsavage/
Fab photos by Aleksey!
A huge thank you to everybody who came along last night. It was wonderful to see all my San Francisco friends again. A true homecoming!
Thanks for doing all of the hard work Roz! I just posted pictures on your facebook. I would like to request anyone that has ever supported you in any way, even a good thought sent in your direction to tag themselves. Please, be my guest!
Thanks Roz! We are amazed by your presence. What a gift you are!
Thank you Jay for a terrific job gathering all us Rozlings together!
….and thank you Jay, for hosting what was supposed to be a “no-host” event. Very generous of you.
Great pictures of the party at Greens and the BV! Thanks.
Stephen
Wonderful party! So nice to meet everybody. Thank you, Jay!
I do miss your blogs, Roz. I came to look forward to the readings each day. I’m sure many others feel the same. It will take some adjusting for us too, you know! Onward.
P.S. I’m not much of a blog reader–yours is the only blog I’ve ever read.
Podcast episode 53 “White Sheets and pots of Jam” is online.
Row Roz Row!http://rozroams.squarespace.com/
Link to arrival to Mauritius Video!
http://vimeo.com/30428663Thanks Col Leonhardt!
Saturday 10/22/11 0930 PST
Roz is off again on her ongoing adventure. While we wait for her next blog post, I have this idea!
Put a post-it note on your desk.
Put 4/03 on it
Go back to her history of blogs… and read from her beginnings… and know that the story keeps getting better!
Row Roz Row!
~Jay
Want more while waiting for her next post? Here you go… Marcus and Joel of JUNK raft, 5 Gyres meets up with Roz in Pacific Stage 1 just a few hundred miles off shore in what Roz describes as the strangest most serendipitous dinner party ever!
Row Roz Row!
http://youtu.be/xawIDySIo-c
http://youtu.be/7CXJXuF9AyE
This little known video was recorded in Copenhagen in December 2009. Yet again, obviously, Roz is giving it her all! Two statements ring poignant to me.
and “(S)he who controls the wind controls all the ships” regarding vibes and energies. (4:20)
You never know when you will hit the right person on the right day with the right message. (6:10)
Is today your day to seize it? (10/23/11)
Row Roz Row!